Compressing steel in conical molds.



No. 811,143. PATBNTED JAN. so, 1906.

H. HARMET. GOMPRESSING STEEL IN GONIGAL MOLDS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 7, 1902.

3 SHEETS-SHBET 1.

PATENTED JAN. 80, 1906.

H. HARMET. GQMPRESSING STEEL IN GONIOAL MOLDS.

APPLIOATION FILED OCT. 7, 1902.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

H. HARMET.

COMPRESSING STEEL IN GONIGAL MOLDS. APPLIOATIION TIL-ED OOT. 7,1902.

3 SHEBTSSHEET 3.

PATENTED JAN. 30, 1906.

PATENT FFltlEt HENltl lilARMET, ()F ST. ETIENNE, FRANCE.

its. er Lil t3.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 30, 1908.

Application filed October 7, 1902- Sorlal No. 126,294.

siding at St. Etienne, Loire, France, have invented certainnew anduseful lm rovements in Com ressing Steel in Conica Molds, of which tliefollowing is a specification.

The compression of steel as described in my former patent, N o.679,072,dated July 23, A. D. 1901, in conical molds consists in causingthe ingot to advance during solidification in a conical ingot-mold bypushing it from the larger end toward the smaller end. To obtain a oodcompression, the advance of the metal cm the base of the conical moldshould be such that the resulting reduction in the volume of the ingotis equal to or even greater than the contraction of the metal during thesame time. known process of mine of compressing the in got anymechanical means may be adopted by which the ingot can be caused toadvance in the conical ingot mold by pushing, its" larger end toward thesmaller end of the cone", the advance being such that the reduction ofvolume of the ingot is at least equal to the contraction of the metal.The mgot molil' may be in any position provided that the ad; vance ofthe ingot in the cone can be obtained as desired. Any force also maybeemployed for producing the advance, suchashydraulic or any otherpower. In the specification of my former patent, No. 679,072, dated July23,

190i, and of my application, Serial No.'

99,335, filed March 21,1902, I have described the two most importantmechanical arran ements for obtainin the advance to the esired extentwhen t' c axis of the cone of the ingot mold is vertical, the largersection being at the bottom andthe smaller section at the top. Generallythe advance of the ingot in'the cone is obtained by keeping theingotmoldapproximately stationary and raising by the'press the movable bottom topush the metal in front of it.

In the arrangement I prefer to employ in carrying out the resentinvention t c axis of the cone is vert cal and the larger section is atthetop. I have shown this preferred arrangement in the annexed drawings,in which- Figure lis the general sectional elevation of an apparatusembodying main features of my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section,on a In applying this larger scale, of the in ot-mold; and Fig. 3 is asectional elevation o' a modified form of the apparatus.

he arrangement of the larger section at the top and the smaller one atthe bottom is convenient in certain casesfor very small ingots, forexample-the casting being soperformed that the liquid metal or the ingotis carried by its smaller end, which serves as a ciently supported tosustain the metal, but which descends vertically when a heavy pres" sureis placed on the larger end of the ingot. Thecom ression is theneffected by submittin the arger end of the ingot to a pressure Sn 7cient to force it into the cone in a manner similar to that ado ted whenthe larger end is at the bottom an the smaller end is at the same.hatever may be the arrangement adopted, the operation is according tothis in- ,vention continued until the ingot is, completely forced out ofthe smaller end of the conical ingot-mold, and preferabl this is donewith the larger end of the mo d at the top and in two operations, asfollows: 'lfhc metal havin been poured into the ingotmold a, the larger,end being at the top and the smallerend resting-on. a base m, which candescend under a' heavy pressure, the larger and of the ingot cisexposed, by means of the ram n of the press A, Fig. l, to thepressurenccessary to cause it to advance in the mold a, write produce areduction in its volume corresponding to the contraction which takesplace during the same time. Atter the first eriod, the metal having aproximately soli ified, the ingot-mold a,w1th the ingot c in it, istaken to another press B, having a ram 0 smaller than the small end ofthe cone' of the in ot-mold, and the ingot, which has already soidified, is then further made to advance in the cone until it is forcedout at the smaller-end, which is left open, the ingot mold a during thisperiod being heldtightly laterally by any mechanical means and securedby locking.

When making very light ingots, of which the solidification is almostinstantaneous, the two operations ma filling the ingotmo d with itssmaller end at the bottom when resting on the plane surface of ametallic block, lifting it immediate-l with the ingot in it, carrying itwhile hol ing it base and rests on a movable bottom sufli top, therinciple of. operation remaining the be combined into one,

vertically'to a press similar to the ress B in Fig. 1, where it isseized laterally, t e smaller end being free andstill directed downward,and, last, causing a mechanicalor hydraulic ram to descend onto thelarger end and advance themetal and force it out of the smaller end ofthe cone.

In order to mechanically and rapidly force small ingots into and throughconical molds, I have devised the arran ement of ingotmold shown in Fig.2, whic is more partlcularly adapted for use when the complete operationis condensed in one eriod. The ingotmold a, which is made s ightlyconical both inwardly and outwardly and strengthened b hoops b, isprovided at the bottom with a co lar f, by means of which it is centeredon a lower portion or hollow block (1, fixed to the foundation 6 of thepress, which serves to force the ingot out through the smaller end ofthe mold a. The orifice of the block dis cylindrical at the portion g,which forms a prolongation of the ingot-mold and is of the same diameteras its lower base. It is then made conical at h and terminates in a clindrica portion i. When it is desired to orce the ingots 0 into andthrou h the mold in a single operation, the conica ingot-mold a is firstplaced upon a fiat metal bottom for the purpose of. casting. When it'hasreceived the steel which forms the ingot c, it is rapidly placed uponthe block (1, fixed to the foundation e of the press C, Fig. 3. The inot-mold being thus arranged on-the block (1, t e ram t, actuated by thecylinder p of the press C, is lowered onto the upper face of the ingotc, which is still in a great measure fluid. The ram causes the metal topass from the large end of the in ot-mold toward the small end andtoward t e block in which the compression is carried out. In order tocool the ingot directly after compression and in order to reventswelling, water or steam is brought into contact with the metal. Thewater or steam asses under ressure into the block throu the nozzle 7 andinto the annular pipe from whence it asses through the pipe Zinto thecentral ori ea.

In place of causing the ram of the press to act until the in 0t passescompletely out through the smal end of the in ot-mold it may be stoppeda little prior to t 's and the ingot thus compressed taken out throu hthe top by pushing it mechanically from elow by any suitable means, suchas a push-back ram s, Fig. 3, of a diameter smaller than that of thenarrowest partof the block d or the mold a. It is above all ofimportance in this case to prevent swelling, which would render thereturn of the ingot very difficult.

Having thus described the nature'and objects of my invention, what Iclaim as new, and desire to-secure by Letters Patent, is

-1. In an apparatus of the character described, a vertical ingot-moldhaving a slightly conical cavity, means forming the continuation for thesmaller end of said mold at the base and wherein an ingot is ada ted'tobe solidified b compression when orced out through sai mold and themeans forming the continuation of the smaller end of said mold.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, a slightly frusto-conicalingot-mold, ahollow block arranged adjacent to and formin thecontinuation for the smaller end of said ingot-mold, and the hollowortion of said block having successive cylin rical frusto-conical andcylindrical portions.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, a vertical ingot-moldhaving a slightly conical cavity, the smaller diameter of which is atthe base of the mold, a hollow block for centering and supporting themold at its base having a highly conical portion located between twocylindrical portions, forming the continuation of the cavity of the moldto still further compress and to solidify the ingot when forced out ofthe cavity of the mold into and through said hollow block.

4 In an apparatus of the character described, a slightly frusto-conicalingot-mold, a hollow block arranged adjacent to and forming thecontinuation for the smaller end of said ingot-mold, the hollow portionof said block having successive cylindrical frustoconical andcylindrical portions, to further compress the in 0t forced through thesuccessive portions 0 said block, in combination with means forcirculating a cooling medium in said block during passage of the ingottherethrough.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, a slightly frusto-conicalingot-mold for solidifying an ingot by compression, a hollow blockarranged adjacent to and forming the continuation for the smaller end ofsaid ingot-mold, the hollow portion of said block having successivefrusto-conical and cylindrical ortions to further compress the ingotwhen orced into and through said block, in combination with means forcirculating a cooling medium in said block during the assage of theingot therethrough, and pus iing of the ingot backthrough said block.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscriblng witnesses. I

HENRI HARMET.

Witnesses HASTINGS BURROUGHS, J. BEARLET.

